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Every startup is looking for the same thing; a steady flow of customers to bring them some much-needed revenue and success. Unfortunately, this isn’t something that will necessarily just fall into your lap and you’ll have to work to keep those first few important customers onboard.

Luckily, there are tried-and-tested ways to do this so that they don’t flock over to your competitors instead. Here is a handful of excellent ways to make sure your customers stay put where you need them, happy and content with the service you’re providing.

Communicate with them

It goes without saying that you won’t be able to deliver exactly what they want and need without actually keeping in touch. How you do this, however, will also have an impact on how receptive they are. Casual conversations through social media are excellent ways to do this but don’t forget to deliver great customer service when they approach you as well.

Since you’re a startup, it’s not always easy to find the resources to hire an entire team of customer service professionals to help you out. One solution is to outsource it instead; that way, you’ll actually gain a whole team of professionals without really having to pay for their training.

You could also look into getting customer success software instead. You’ll be able to deliver personal service without having to train and hire a team – and the software will take care of most of the hassle for you.

Lure them in with rewards

A loyal customer should be rewarded – and if they won’t be rewarded by you, they’ll be quick to head over to one of your competitors instead. It doesn’t have to be too grand either as you’ll just have to make sure that sticking with it’s worth it for them.

Have a look at this article for some great tips on customer loyalty rewards to make it a bit easier for you.

A free test of a new product is always a good idea or a heavily discounted service in the future when they’ve been with you for a while. It’s the kind of stuff that makes it a bit better to be a customer at your startup.

Take their complaints seriously

Finally, it’s important to realize that each and every business will experience some negative feedback too. It’s how they learn, after all, and how they’re able to grow as a business and deliver the kind of service that their customers are looking for.

Make sure that you do not only make it easy for them to give you feedback but that you’re also taking anything negative to heart. That way, they’ll feel a bit more listened to and won’t suspect that this is the way your business is normally operating.

It’s the kind of stuff that brings good customers in and keeps them there for the long run.